


Florets Tale

by OldeShoestrings



Series: Newtmas Vault [2]
Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Flowers, Fluff, He's annoyed a lot too, M/M, Newt blushes a lot, Protective!Thomas, Protectiveness, So many flowers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-09
Updated: 2015-10-09
Packaged: 2018-04-25 14:14:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4963798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OldeShoestrings/pseuds/OldeShoestrings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Newt is covered in flowers and Thomas doesn't understand why. Well, at least he looks cute though so there's that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Florets Tale

**Author's Note:**

> _Not beta ಥ_ಥ Sorry._

\--

_**Thomas** _

"Newt?"

"Yes-" Newt draws a long breath as he stabs the shovel into the soil and vegetation, rather exaggeratedly, before he swipes the trickles of sweats from his forehead. "-Tommy?"

"Urm..." Thomas fidgets from where he’s sitting on the log, poking at the hard surface. He doesn't know how to ask this without sounding impatient as it's bad enough that Minho often teases him that he’s always too eager when it comes to Newt (‘ _So what if I have a crush, Minho? Shut up_.’)

Newt raises a brow at the greenie.

"What is it, Tommy?"

"You know... Your head?"

A soft chuckle. "I do know my head."

"No, I mean- what's up with the flowers?" Thomas peers at the colorful petals on the crown of Newt's head. Few of the flower petals are hanging askew, almost covering the blond's ears, whilst some are strewn about in his upper hair, veiling almost all of the golden locks from the view. And when Newt flushes pale pink as he ducks his head, Thomas is _this_ close to biting those adorable pink-ish cheeks.

"It's Gally's idea."

The young Runner blinks. "Why?"

"I lost a bet."

Thomas decides to leave it at that when Chuck comes skipping towards them - towards Newt - and actually has the gallantry to look complacent at the blond.

Newt surprisingly groans. "You too?"

"What?" Chuck chirps innocently. " _We’re all in this together_ , as you always say." then he tiptoes to put a purple flower petal in Newt's hair, carefully guiding his pudgy hand from touching the other florets, perhaps to prevent the petals from falling from their intended spot. "There!" Chuck claps once before he walks away, leaving a confused Thomas and a flustered Newt behind.

_Am I missing something?_

It lasts for a few more hours. The Gladers come and go to decorate the elven-looking blond with variations of flowers; some of them actually appear content whilst most just stare at Newt with a knowing glint in their eyes but it serves Thomas nothing as it simply reinforces his interest. No one seems to bother to explain anything to him.

Not a smirking Minho, who puts a pink flower in Newt's back pocket, and not an irritated Alby, who despite the annoyed facade, still adorns his dearest friend with a green flower in the lace of Newt's shoe. Even Gally throws a few flower petals on the rim of Newt's shoulders, strapping said flowers under his vest to hinder the petals from plummeting down.

Newt, the second-in-command, mother of the glade, and the voice of reason, is now a walking flower vase.

"This is ridiculous!" He shouts at Gally. The red hue on Newt’s cheeks brightens. Especially when the blond steals a glance or two at him. Huh. Odd.

Gally merely huffs a laugh as he waves at Newt before strutting away. "It won't stop unless you confess!"

Newt sputters.

Thomas is even more confused.

_What's happening really?_

_**Newton** _

It's bonfire night and Newt just can't feel the _'rage of bonding and extra food from our chef'_ aura like the rest of the Gladers. Drawing his knees to his chest, Newt sniffs at the floras decorating his old shoes. They're beautiful, sure, but also annoying as they limit his movement. Why would Jeff and Clint tuck the flowers there anyway?

"Holy sheep dancing on a pedestal." Zart inhales loudly, looking at him up and down. "Are you serious, Newt? It's night and you haven't-... I'm impressed." Zart actually does look impressed, nodding thrice with a sage expression clouding his face. With a small snicker, he claims the empty space on the ground next to Frypan, ignoring the glare from the second-in-command.

"He's stubborn about it." Siggy rolls his eyes. "I mean, everyone can see it so it's not like it's a secret."

"Well, everyone except Tommy." Newt mumbles under his breath, flicking at the flower petal tickling at his nose from where it's hanging from his fringe. He won't forgive Ben for deliberately putting it there just because _'it makes you look ten times cuter, Newt! Come on!’_.

The other Gladers murmur in mutual agreement before they're disturbed by the arrival of the new greenie.

"So." Thomas carefully drops down beside Newt, steadying his balance as he pokes at the flowers in Newt's hair. "Not that you don’t look cute with them but what's the deal with these flowers and being a human vase anyway?"

_Cute?_ Newt blinks, coloring a bit. _He thinks I’m cute?_

And as if the fate enjoys exposing him to more embarrassing situations, Minho hastily stands from his sitting position and jumps at Thomas' side like a giddy teenage girl. "Cute? You think Newt's cute?"

At this point, even Gally is grinning at Newt and Zart wiggling his brows at him.

Newt groans. He doesn't need this right now.

The Runner blinks. "Sure? I mean... The first time I saw him I thought he was the cutest thing ever." Thomas says like it's not the weirdest thing to ever come out from his mouth. Maybe not to him, but it is to Newt because you don't go around calling other guy cute in public-

"Did you hear that, Newt?" Alby calls from somewhere behind him. "He thinks you're adorable as a newborn puppy."

"I hear puppy whimpers adorably when it's in love." Chuck claims seriously. The others - excluding a puzzled Thomas - silently applaud behind him.

"Okay." Thomas' commanding voice garners everyone's attention. "What's going on here? Why are you doing this to Newt?" at the mention of 'this', Thomas waves worriedly at him, a hint of protectiveness seeps into the tenor of his voice. 

"Well," Siggy pipes in. "You have to ask Newt that."

Thomas looks at him hopelessly and Newt hates it how he succumbs so easily to those eyes.

"I-"

"Here it comes." Newt hears someone murmurs, causing him to throw a glare at the mass of young Gladers. "Can you shanks back away and give us some privacy?" They take a step back. "More." Newt bites out and they take another step back. "A little bit more." And another step back. Newt huffs. "Fine, good enough." A ripple of content sighs emanate from the Gladers.

"Newt?" Thomas calls. Newt shifts to look at the boy standing before him. By now, the dark-haired boy is close enough that he circles his arm about Newt's waist - cautiously not to brush against the flowers wedge on the inside of Newt’s belt - and tips his thumb under Newt's chin to get a full look of his face. The concern is still present.

Newt stammers. And blushes. _Urgh. Why do I blush a lot? It's irritating_

"What’s wrong, Tommy?"

"I'm worried." He really is. "Are they bullying you?" Thomas questions gently, throwing a side-glare at the quiet Gladers.

"They're not, really."

"Then?"

"Look," Newt pushes away from Thomas. Though the other youth won't relinquish his protective hold on him. "I-...well..."

"Yeah?" Thomas' smiling a bit now. 

Being in love is a pain in the buttock. As if agreeing with him, the flower petals covering his person wave softly when the breeze sings reverently in the night, tickling his warm skin.

Well, whatever. Might as well just say it. Darn flowers.

"I'm kinda in flowers with you, Tommy." What? No! That’s now what he wanted to say!

Thomas cocks his head. Bemused. "...flowers with me?"

Newt flushes. "I-I-I-...I lost a bet against Gally and he told everyone to put flowers all over me until I confess to y-you. I know. Stupid but... Yeah. Stupid."

Thomas is quiet.

The Gladers are quiet.

Newt is quiet.

The whole Glade is quiet.

Then Thomas releases his arm around Newt, turns around, and runs towards the Garden, leaving without a word.

Minutes fly by and Thomas still hasn't returned.

"Do you think he's dead?" Ben asks in the background.

Newt casts his gaze to his shoes. The flowers motion back and forth in a gentle rhythm. Does this mean he's rejected? Most likely. Which is kind of logical since-

"Newt!"

The blond looks up. And chokes.

Thomas is covered in flowers himself, running in a comical manner to make sure the flowers won't scatter to the ground. Although from where Newt's standing, Thomas appears to be failing miserably.

Newt can't help himself. He laughs.

"It's- ow! It's in my eye!" is the first thing Thomas cries about as he abruptly stops in front of Newt, taking a short inhale. "I can't believe you walk with these for a whole day." Thomas blows the petals that are close to his eyes. When he finally looks at the blond, Thomas softens, plucking the blue flower from his hair and tucking it behind Newt's ear.

"Newt."

"Yeah?"

Thomas is grinning now.

"I'm kinda in flowers with you too."

"Pfft." Newt shakes his head. "Come here, you big flower."

Thomas laughs as he allows their foreheads to touch, the flower petals spread around them like fallen leaves before the flowers are tangled together once again like a hundred gentle red threads.

Seriously, darn flowers.

\--

**Author's Note:**

> **Bonus**
> 
> "Finally!" Gally flails his arms. "Why is it always my job helping you klunks getting laid?!"


End file.
